Several situations exist in which it is necessary to provide a mechanical connection between a mechanical support wire and a lashing wire used to secure a signal cable thereto.
An example of such an application would be providing telephone service to a building. Typically, a messenger wire is mechanically secured between a telephone pole and a service entrance at the building. This messenger wire provides the mechanical support for a signal wire which provides the telephone signal to the building. The signal wire is attached to the messenger wire by means of a lashing wire which is wrapped around the signal wire and the messenger wire. The lashing wire must then be secured to the messenger wire to prevent the lashing wire from unwinding.
A typical cable clamp used for securing a lashing wire to a messenger wire contains a relatively large number of individual components compared to the present invention. One such clamp is the Senior clamp comprises two specially formed plates held together by a double-ended stud and two bolts. The messenger wire is retained between recesses found on the inner surface of the formed plates. The lashing wire is retained between two washers located between the outer surface of one of the plates and one of the retaining nuts.
While a cable clamp such as that described above provides good mechanical connection between the messenger and lashing wire, several disadvantages have been discovered.
First, the relatively large number of parts itself causes disadvantages. As the parts count increases, both the clamp weight and clamp cost will increase.
Another disadvantage arises because the clamp cannot be tightened on the messenger wire until the lashing wire is positioned between the lashing wire retaining washers. Such a design requires the installer to hold the messenger wire retaining plates onto the messenger wire while attempting to position the lashing wire between the washers. The entire clamp assembly must then be held in position while the installer tightens one of the nuts. This makes installation difficult, especially when an installer is balanced on a pole or ladder.
Yet another disadvantage arises because the messenger wire held by such a clamp must generally conform to the diameter of the recess formed by the grooves in the formed plates. This prevents the clamp from being used with cables having a diameter substantially different from the diameter between the formed plate grooves.
A need exists for a telephone cable clamp that has fewer parts and overcomes the other disadvantages previously described.